Character profile:

September 2012: Elizabeth Royal is a very pale grey bird, and we think she is the most beautiful of them all this year. As well as looking good, she is also very good natured. She is not a very dominant bird, but is still a bold individual within the group and likes to explore and forage. For a short period she was one of the largest chicks, but has since been eclipsed by most of the 2012 cohort, and now looks rather petite in comparison. She adapted well to life in the release enclosure in Somerset, and has been thoroughly enjoying the abundance of insect life. January 2012: As autumn turned to winter, the cranes began to flock together to look for food, which they found in plentiful supply in the form of maize left in fields from the harvest. All 48 have been spending most of their time either feeding in the maize stubble or on Stan Moor, completely unperturbed by the surrounding floodwater. January 2014: 2013 was a largely uneventful and peaceful year for Elizabeth, spending the spring and summer on Aller moor and West Sedgemoor, the autumn feeding in and around the Stoke St. Gregory Ridge and Stanmoor and the winter flood period on Stanmoor pasture, pulling up worms as part of a large flock. July 2015: In April 2014, Elizabeth flew up to Slimbridge where she spent just under a month before heading back to the Levels and Moors for the summer through to the winter. Almost a year later at the end of March 2015 she once again visited Slimbridge where she spent some of the spring, but was also back in Somerset for periods of time. Her current whereabouts are unknown and we hope to locate her again as the autumn rolls on. 2015 is the summer that she is due to moult, and it is quite possible that she is one of a small number of birds that are creeping about like ghosts on West Sedgemoor at the moment – whilst waiting for her flight feathers to re-grow. February 2016: In September 2015 Elizabeth Royal was seen once again on the Moors, presumably post-moult, and remained in Somerset throughout the rest of the year. Maybe she'll pair up this year - but currently we're not aware of any suitors... July 16: Remained at Slimbridge and seen as a pair with Phelps during February. 1 st incubation started sometime in April but failed on 7/8 May, cause unknown. 2 nd incubation started on 19 th May in the 100acre area but was abandoned after 24 days. No further attempts were made. Nov 17: Elizabeth paired with Phelps at Slimbridge in late February. They were still together on 20th March but not settled anywhere in particular. It was reported that this pair had prepared butthen abandoned a nest. They were back feeding with the flock soon after.They were stilltogether at end of June but no further attempts at nesting were observed. Has been seen at Slimbridge and in Somerset in the Autumn.